The two sides agreed to appoint a judge who would meet and agree to a solution to end the calamity amongst them. So Mu’awiya The Early Khawaarij Sect And The Takfiri’s of Today appointed Amr ibn A’as and Ali appointed Abu Musa al Ashari. They wrote an agreement between them stating: “this is what Ali Ibn Abi The Khawaarij or Kharijite as written in many books, were following verse was revealed regarding Dhul Khuwaysara : “and Taalib chief of the believers agrees to”. Then Amr ibn A’as said: If I 8 the first group to deviate from mainstream Islam. The Prophet from them are men who accuse in regards to charity“ . There are a believed he was the chief of the believers I would not have fought Mohammad warned of their appearance and explained how number of different narrations of the above hadith. It is known that him so write his name and his fathers name as he is your chief not dangerous they will be: “they kill Muslims and leave off the the Prophet Mohammed prophesised the forth coming of this sect ours. Upon this Ali said: “write this is what Ali ibn Abi Taalib agrees 1 enemies of Islam” ; he also said: “if I live to see them I will kill them because Ibn Sa’id the narrater of this hadith also added: “I testify to and omit the words chief of the believers”. The scribe then wrote 2 9 like the destruction of the people of Ad” . Knowing the motives and that Ali fought those people while I was with him” . as he was instructed. The reciters were agitated and rejected this 3 methods deployed by the takfiri extremists will aid future action of Ali arguing that being the chief of the believers is a cloak generations and the world in general. The Khawaarij revolt which Allah gave to Ali and he should not remove it. After the This small treatise will involve comparative analysis - a technique agreement had taken place, each party went back to where they which will be particularly useful when making the comparison After Uthman was killed, Ali became the caliph though Mu’awiya came from. Mu’awiya went back to Damascus and Ali headed back between the extremists responsible for the political violence we refused to acknowledge this until Ali would bring to justice those to Kufa. witness today and the early Khawarij sect. who killed Uthman. Ali was unable to do this and demanded that Mu’awiya pledged his allegiance in order to unify the Muslims and On the way to Kufa, Ali faced enmity from the reciters and false This treatise will discuss who they are, and a brief mention of their prevent discord. Mu’awiya refused, thus difference appeared which accusations began to spread in his army causing disunity. When history, appearance, characteristics and dangers. Their pride and ultimately resulted in war. they got close to Kufa, a group separated from Ali’s army and left honour in violence against the state demonstrate similarities as well claiming Ali had done much wrong and accused him of not as differences between them and those contemporary takfiri There were three groups in this calamity. The first was Ali the caliph judging by the Book of Allah. They committed ‘kharooj’ (went out) extremists. The issue of haakimiyah4, which was the central in Madindy who had the support of Kufa. The second was Aeysha from Ali’s army and settled in a place called ‘al-Harurah’. Thus the argument of the Khawarij against Ali, will be discussed to show the with Talha and az-Zubayr in Basra. The third was Mu’awiya in Kharijite sect was established. Some scholars called them al similarity between them and the Takfiri extremists. Shaam. A war broke out between Aeysha and Ali in which Ali was Haruriyah after the name of the place which they separated to. They victorious and az-Zubair and Talha were killed, in a battle was Khawarij is defined as “those who render Muslims apostates totally disassociated with Ali and accused him of a number of known as the battle of the camel. Ali was then left with fighting because of sin and who rebel against the Muslim leaders and the transgressions against the shar’iah. They openly spread Mu’awiya. state”5. They are commonly known today as takfiri. Extremist is propaganda against him and denounced his right to be caliph. This defined in Islam as ‘those who go beyond the prescribed limits, in A group from amongst Ali’s army insisted on taking the booty from was the first sect in Islamic history to be separate from the main excess of the boundaries laid down by Allah”6. the victory of the battle of the camel and they insisted on taking the body of Muslims10. women as slaves. Ali refused this saying we do not take booty or slaves from Muslims. They argued saying we had always fought with The Khawaarij killed Companions A brief look at the Khawaarij origins the Messenger of Allah and took booty and slave girls. Ali tried to Ubaykaan quotes a narration from Ibn Kathir’s book Bidaya wa The first trial to befall the Muslims which lead to sectarianism make them understand that this was not permissible but they did not inwardly accept his ruling, though they followed him at that Nihaya also showing how the Khawaarij spread corruption on the within the Ummah was the trial during the caliphate of Uthman. This earth, shed blood, obstructed the paths, and made lawful the ended in his murder and division amongst the Muslims. After this moment. This was the first discord which appeared from the Kharijite. prohibited. Among the many Muslims they killed was an illustrious period some new Muslims with a lack of knowledge of Islamic companion of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Khabaab. They captured \sciences followed their desires and from them appeared the The battle against Mu’awiya was called the battle of Siffin. In it Ali him and his wife while she was pregnant. They asked him: “who are Kharijite. was winning until Mu’awiya’s army called for arbitration and a you?” he replied: “I am Abdullah Ibn Khabaab, a companion of the The Kharijite were the first group in the history of Islam to group of Ali’s army insisted on accepting it. This group was the Messenger of Allah and you have terrorised us without right”. They separate from the main body of Muslims. The name Kharijite comes same group who did not accept they were not allowed the booty said to him: “do not be afraid, narrate to us something you heard from the Arabic name Khawaarij its plural is ‘khaarijiah’ which from the battle of the camel. They were fierce fighters on the right from your father”, to which he replied that he heard his father say means to ‘go out’, or ‘those who went out’, technically it means ‘to flank of Ali’s army. that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: there will come a form a sect’7. Thus the Khawaarij went out from the main body of In his book called ‘al Bidaya wa Nihaya’, Ibn Katheer narrates the tribulation (so severe) during which a person sitting will be better Muslims to form a separate sect or party. They appeared after the army of Mu’awiya began to loose the battle so they raised the than one standing, the one standing better than the one walking, caliphate of Uthman, though their origin can be found during the mushaf above their heads on their spears saying, “let the Book be and the one walking better than the one running”. So they led him time of the Prophet Mohammad. judge between us”. The leader of Ali’s right flank army led by Ashta by the hand. While he was walking with them, some of them found A hadith narrated by Ibn Sa’id: when the Prophet Mohammad was al Nakhahi, which was the section of the battle which inflicted the a pig that belonged to some of the non-Muslims living under distributing some gold which was sent back to him by Ali ibn Abi worse casualties to Mu’awiya army, came to Ali. He said: “they are Muslim rule. One of them killed it with his sword, so another one Talib, a man called Abdullah ibn Dhil Khuwaysara at Tamimi came asking for Allah’s book to arbitrate between us; let us allow the asked him “how could you kill it when it belongs to a non-Muslim to him and exclaimed: “be just oh Messenger of Allah”. This man judgement of Allah to settle this dispute and stop the spilling of living under Muslim rule?” the man went to that owner to put things was unhappy with the portion he was given. His description in other Muslim blood”. Ali said to him: “it is for Allah’s judgement I am right and he paid him for it. Later, while they were walking, a date narrations say he was sunken eyed had a bulging forehead, thick fighting in the first place. Indeed I called them to consultation fell from a palm tree so one of them took it and placed it in his beard, fat raised cheeks and clean shaven head. The Prophet before, but they were bent on fighting, so fight them now and do not mouth. Another said to him. “You eat it without permission or replied: “woe to you! Who will be just if I am unjust?” Upon leave anyone alive. They only call for arbitration because they are paying for it?” so he spat it out. Even with all these seemingly good hearing this Umar ibn Khataab said: “permit me to strike his neck”, loosing the battle, so fight them”. The leader of the right flank and deeds they still came to Abdullah Ibn Khabaab and slaughtered the Prophet replied: “leave him, for I do not want the people to say the group who came with him to Ali were known as the ‘reciters’ due him. Then they went to his wife while she was saying: “I am a Mohammad kills his companions”. Then he continued to say: “ to their constant recitation of the Qur’an. They refused to fight, and pregnant woman! Do you all not have any fear of Allah?” They verily from the progeny of this man will be a people who will leave disobeyed Ali’s command. Ali was forced to accept the arbitration slaughtered her and cut open her stomach exposing her unborn the religion as fast as an arrow leaves the bow. Your prayers will not against his will which he made clear. His right flank was his strongest baby1. equal their prayers; your fasting will not equal their fasting”. The and he had no choice but to accept or loose the battle. Advice given to the Khawaarij before appointee of Ali in some of those lands. He had with him his wife who was pregnant. They killed him and cut open the stomach of his fighting them wife. This news reached Ali and he sent an army which met them at Imam Ahmad brings the three main claims against Ali that he Nahrawaan. The Early sources from Majma al Fawa’id in the narration of Ibn Abbas who After the battle was over and Ali annihilated them, he sent a party said: to search for the one whom the Messenger described as having a “After they separated to al Harurah, I went to them to call them hand which was like a small breast of a woman. When this back. When I got there they welcomed me and I asked them: what individual was found Ali exclaimed: “Allahu Akbar I have been is it you have against Ali which has made you separate from him utilised to fulfil the prophecy and you all know the hadith”.17 After Ali demolished them, they lived under his caliphate in hiding. Some Khawaarij and his governance?” They said: of them still spread their corruption in secret, until Abdur Rahman “Firstly, he called for judgment of men in the religion of Allah, and Ibn Muljam killed Ali. Allah states in the Qur’an “verily judgement is for Allah alone”12 . Secondly, he fought and did not speak badly about the enemy nor take booty even though they had become disbelievers. The wealth The different types of Khawaarij Sect and the of the disbelievers is permissible to take and if they were believers According to Qadhi Abu Bakr bin Alaarabi al Maaliki, the Kharijite then the shedding of their blood is impermissible in the first place. were of two types. One type believed that Uthman and Ali and those Thirdly, he removed his name as the chief of the believers who fought in the battle of al Jamal and al Siffin and everyone during the writing of the agreement”. who accepted the judgement of arbitrators were disbelievers. The other type believed that whoever committed a major sin is a So I said, “if I am able to narrate to you from the Qur’an and the disbeliever, who shall reside in hell forever. Others claimed the first Takfiri’s Sunnah of the Prophet that which you cannot reject, will you return type are a branch of the second because the reason for them believ- to his governance?” They said “yes”. Then I said to them: ing the rest of the Muslims were disbelievers was that they sinned by “As for your complaint that he called for judgment of men in the supporting Uthman and Ali. According to Abu Mansoor al religion of Allah, Allah states: “Oh you who believe do not kill prey Baghdadi the Kharijite split into twenty sects. (hunt) whilst you are in the state of Ihraam “13; to his saying “Just 14 of Today people from amongst you will judge by it “ ; and Allah, Most High, said about a man and his wife “if you fear a separation between 1 Buhkari them both then send a judge from his side and a judge from her 2 Bukhari side “15 may Allah guide you, does the judgement of men 3 Such as present groups like Muhajiroon, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Ikwaan Muslimoon and regarding their blood and their lives and fixing affairs between them others who excommunicate Muslims from the religion. have more right or the profit of rabbit is four dirham?”[He means if 4 Governance or rule we can bring men to judge whether the profit on a rabbit is correct, 5 Al Khawaarij Awal firaq fil Ilsam by Al Aqal p28 then we can do so more importantly in affairs which concern spilling 6 Religious Extremism by Dr Abdul Rahman al Mutairi p67-74 of Muslim blood and fixing of their affairs]. They said: “By Allah the 7 Taken From Haqqatul Khawaarij by Sheikh Faisal al Jaaasim spilling of blood and fixing affairs between them has more right”. So 8 Surah Tawbah verse 58 I asked: “are you free from this now”, they replied: “Yes”. 9 Muslim I then asked: “as for your complaint that he fought and did not 10 Al Bidaaya wa Nihaaya p283 speak badly about the enemy nor take booty, will you speak badly 11 The Khawarij by Ubaykan p49-51 about your mother? Or will you make halal, to do with her what you 12 Surah al Anam verse 57 would make halal, to do with other than her? If so then you have 13 Surah al Maídah verse 95 disbelieved and if you believe she is not your mother then you have 14 Surah al Maídah verse 95 disbelieved also. Verily Allah Most High states: “the Prophet is 15 Surah Nisa verse 35 foremost from the believers than themselves and his wives are their 16 Surah Ahzaab verse 6 mothers “16 you are stuck in between two deviations so choose 17 A hadith in Muslim in which the Prophet prophesised the Khawarij will be which one you want. Are you free from this also?” They replied: “By killed and amongst the killed will be a man whose hand will be like a breast of a Allah, yes” women. [And] as for your complaint he removed his name as the chief of the believers then indeed the Messenger of Allah made an agreement with the Quraish in Hudaybiyah and removed his title of Messenger of Allah for Mohammad Ibn Abdullah. Who is better the Messenger of Allah or Ali?” They replied: “the Messenger of Allah.” I said “are you free from this also?” They replied: “By Allah, yes.” So twenty thousand of them returned [to us], four thousand remained and were fought by Ali and defeated in Nahrawaan. Ali did not fight them until they began to spread mischief in the lands and spill the blood of the innocent. As mentioned above, by Abdullah bin Khabab bin al Aratt passed by them while he was an Masjid Al-Ghurabaa’ 116 Bury Park Road, Luton. LU1 1HE Tel: 01582 724647 Abdul Qadir Baksh